Pay $1,000 to get a faster US visa interview? Details of Trump's plans

The Trump administration is considering a $1,000 fee for faster US visa interviews, allowing tourists and other applicants to skip months-long wait times

Pay $1,000 (approximately Rs 86,000) and skip the long queue for a US visa! The Trump administration is considering a steep fee for tourists and other non-immigrant visa applicants who want to jump the line and get an earlier interview date, according to an internal memo from the State Department reviewed by Reuters.

 

Premium fee could offer fast-tracked interviews

 

Currently, individuals entering the US on tourist and non-immigrant visas pay a $185 processing fee. The proposed $1,000 option would function as a premium service, giving some applicants faster access to visa interviews, according to the memo.

 

The pilot version of the programme could launch as early as December 2025.

 

 

Business Standard’s query to the US government for confirmation on the proposal remains unanswered at the time of writing this report.

 

However, the move, if implemented, could appeal to Indian travellers, many of whom face delays stretching into months.

 

As of June 6, 2025, visitor visa applicants in Chennai face a 14-month wait

In Mumbai, the average wait time is around 9.5 months

New Delhi applicants have to wait about 8 months

Hyderabad and Kolkata offer shorter queues of 7 and 6 months, respectively

 

While the memo details the expedited interview option, it also notes that government lawyers have raised concerns about the legality of charging such a fee. The internal review is ongoing.

 

Ties to broader immigration plans

 

If implemented, this would add to a growing list of Trump-era immigration proposals that reward speed and access to those who can afford to pay.

 

The $1,000 proposal follows a broader policy direction under President Donald Trump, who returned to office on January 20, 2025. His administration has pushed for tighter immigration controls and has already revoked some student visas and increased vetting for others.

 

Earlier this year, Trump unveiled a proposed “gold card” programme that would offer US citizenship in exchange for a $5 million investment — a pathway pitched as faster and more direct than existing options.

 

Travel spending to fall by $12.5 billion

 

The new fee proposal comes amid a projected drop in international travel to the US.

 

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) said in May that international travel spending in the US is expected to fall by 7% in 2025, due to the impact of a strong dollar and growing discomfort with Trump’s immigration stance.

 

According to the WTTC’s Economic Impact Research published on May 13, 2025:

 

< International travel spending is forecast to drop to less than $169 billion this year, down from $181 billion in 2024

< That figure is 22.5% below the 2019 peak of $217.4 billion

 

Julia Simpson, president and chief executive of the WTTC, said the decline isn’t just about exchange rates.

 

“The near neighbours, Canada and Mexico, are not travelling,” said Simpson. “There are also concerns over visas — whether they’ve got the right visa or might accidentally get arrested, which has made people quite fearful.”

 

The State Department issued 10.4 million non-immigrant visas in the 2023 financial year, including 5.9 million tourist visas, according to the USCIS' annual report.